by Kevon Browne
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): In light of the uptick in COVID-19 cases in Canada and the Caribbean, Air Canada/Air Canada Vacations have withdrawn services from some Caribbean islands until the new wave of infections subsides.
Air Canada will be cancelling air service to Caribbean destinations from January 31 – April 30. Flights will operate as scheduled but may cease without notice as the COVID-19 situation changes.
The Ministry of Tourism issued a statement from Minister the Hon Lindsay Grant which said:
“In a recent communication with multiple sun destinations following the emergence of the Omicron variant, representatives of Air Canada Vacations sent the following statement regarding a service suspension to St. Kitts that I share with you below:
The Travel Industry has once again been faced with unforeseeable circumstances and further exasperating this, the Canadian Federal government has reinstated its advisory against non-essential international travel for Canadians.
With this said, Air Canada/Air Canada Vacations have decided to cease flying to St. Kitts, with the last north-bound scheduled for January 30, 2022.
Air Canada will be working to cancel flights in order of departure dates and appreciates our patience and cooperation.
[We] want to extend sincere gratitude to our tourism stakeholders and residents for your incredible efforts in our recovery to date. We remain optimistic for a return to service as soon as possible with our valued partners at Air Canada.”
The new measures will impact over 20 Air Canada destinations according to the airline, including Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, Bermuda, St Martin/Maarten, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Anguilla, Bahamas, Barbados, BVI, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, USVI.
In 2020, Air Canada flights came to the Federation on Tuesdays and Saturdays before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. As the tourism sector began to reopen in Canada in November 2021, St Kitts could secure one Sunday flight, and now the expansion of the tourism product to Canada has taken another hit.
